


A Lovely Blue

by Sasa_Q



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Because apparently bottom Garak is all I can write nowadays, Bottom Elim Garak, I need Garak to like wearing lipstick for Reasons okay, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 00:27:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29751315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasa_Q/pseuds/Sasa_Q
Summary: When Garak hears of a new cosmetics shop on the promenade, he decides to buy a tube of lipstick.
Relationships: Elim Garak & Odo, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 5
Kudos: 45





	A Lovely Blue

Funnily enough, it was Odo who first told Garak about the new store that had opened on the promenade.

They were having breakfast together, as usual, and Odo was talking about crime reports for the week, when he said, "...and there was an attempted shoplifting at the cosmetics store."

"Cosmetics store?" Garak asked, sipping his rokassa juice. "I didn't know we had a cosmetics store."

"It just opened last week. It's not too far on the promenade away from your shop, actually," Odo said. "I don't understand the humanoid obsession with beautification. It's so... absurd. Putting paint on your face to make yourself look different? It's preposterous."

"I wouldn't know," Garak said. "I've never worn makeup before." He'd never really had the urge to, but he had the distinct feeling that Enabran Tain would not be happy if his son were gallivanting about Cardassia Prime with makeup on. His mind not really on the topic, he asked, "So, what prevented the shoplifting from being carried out?"

Odo launched into a conversation about a particularly sharp-eyed customer noticing something afoot, and alerting a security guard before the shoplifter could run off with pockets full of beauty products.

Garak wasn't listening. He had this mad urge inside him to go to the cosmetics shop. He didn't know what would happen if he did, but he had this strange desire to go there. He was thinking about pictures of human women with lipstick on, lips full and colorful, commanding great power. He wanted that power.

He wasn't really listening to Julian that day at lunch as they talked about Mask of the Red Death. He was thinking about the new store on the promenade, and going there after he was done at work.

"You look distracted," Julian told him. "And you're playing with your food again."

Garak wondered how Julian felt about lipstick. "Oh, I apologize. I don't know where my mind is," he said. He knew exactly where it was: a three minutes walk from his shop on the promenade.

"You're still okay with me coming over tonight?" Julian asked at the end of their meal.

Garak had forgotten that Julian was coming over. "Of course," he said. "I'll try to clean up my quarters before you arrive."

"I'd better get back to the infirmary," Julian said. "See you later. Love you." He leaned in and kissed Garak.

"Love you too," Garak said to Julian's back as he hurried away.

Garak closed up his shop at the normal time, locking the door behind him and humming under his breath as he walked down the Promenade. Soon, he reached the new shop: Yezra's Cosmetics. It was a good-sized shop, with a welcoming, bright-colored sign. Garak took in a deep breath. _You can turn around right now,_ he told himself. _Pretend you never heard of this place. Or, you could walk in and look around. Your decision._

Steeling himself, Garak stepped into the shop. It smelled good, and clean, like soap. There were several displays in different stands and racks of different cosmetic products. Garak was overwhelmed. The shop wasn't even that small, but all the displays took up a lot of the space, and he began to feel very claustrophobic. _I shouldn't have come here,_ he thought, his throat beginning to close up. _This was a bad idea._

"Mr. Garak!" said a woman's voice. He turned. There was a tall Bajoran woman with a considerably made-up face standing next to him. "I recognize you from your tailor shop! I've been meaning to come in and get my measurements taken for a dress. How are you today? Oh, sorry, my name is Yezra. I'm the owner of this store."

"A pleasure to meet you," Garak said, composing himself. "I just heard about this new store, and I figured I would take a look around."

"Who are you buying for?" asked Yezra. "A friend, or...?"

Garak braced himself. "Myself," he said.

"Oh!" said Yezra. "I wasn't aware Cardassian men liked to wear makeup."

"They don't," Garak said. "I was merely... curious."

"Anything in particular you're looking for?" Yezra asked.

"Well, I'm particularly mystified by... lipstick," Garak said.

"We have plenty of different shades," Yezra said. "Follow me." She led Garak down a few different aisles until they got to a large display with what must be dozens of different shades of lipstick. "Anything jumping out at you?"

"I haven't a clue where to start," Garak admitted.

"That's fine!" said Yezra. "Well, let's see... I know most Cardassians who wear makeup like the color blue. Let's start there."

Garak was grateful for a starting point. "Yes, that sounds most adequate," he said.

"As you can see, we have several different shades as options," Yezra said. "There are some darker blues, and some lighter ones here."

"I'd like something more in the middle," said Garak.

"We can do that too," Yezra said. She pulled out a tube. "Here. What do you think of that?"

Garak looked at the color. It was an azure color, a lovely blue. "It looks very nice."

"I'll get the test tube, and we can test it out on your wrist," said Yezra. "Be right back." She was back in a moment with a different tube of the same color, one that looked as if it had already been used. "Hold out your wrist." Garak did so. Yezra swiped the blue lipstick across his wrist. The shade looked very nice against the gray of his skin. "How do you like that?" she asked.

"It looks very nice," Garak said. "I think... I think I'll buy that shade."

"Excellent!" said Yezra. "I can also offer you a sealant to put on your lips, to keep the lipstick from fading, along with wipes that will take off both the sealant and the lipstick, for when you're ready."

"That would be appreciated," Garak said.

"Is there anything else you'd like?"

"No, I think this is it for now," said Garak. He followed her to the cash register and exchanged a small amount of money for the tube of lipstick, sealant, and wipes. "Thank you," he said.

"Not a problem," Yezra said brightly. "It's good to meet you."

Garak went back to his quarters and tidied up in anticipation for Julian's arrival. He had a few half-finished sewing projects draped over his furniture, which he put away. He couldn't stop thinking about the small package sitting on his table. Before Julian came, he put it away in one of his drawers.

Eventually, Julian arrived. "How was your afternoon?" he asked Garak, kissing him.

"Quite dull," Garak said. "Yours?"

"I consider it a good day when I have no emergencies," Julian said. "Because it means no one's hurting. But I do have to admit, it can get a little boring sitting in my office or doing physicals." They replicated dinner and sat down at Garak's table. "I forgot to ask you, how's Odo doing?" Julian asked him. "Today's your day to have breakfast together, isn't it?"

"He's doing just fine," said Garak. "You know, there's one way he's quite like you. He says that crime rates are at a low, and he says that pleases him, but you know what? I think he really is happiest when he has his cells full of criminals, just like you're happiest when you have an infirmary full of patients."

"You might be right," Julian said.

They ate dinner together, Julian talking about his latest research project. Garak listened. Or, at least, he tried to. He couldn't stop thinking about the item he had purchased from the cosmetics shop that afternoon.

"I get the impression your mind is elsewhere again," Julian said. "What's on your mind, Elim?"

"It's silly," Garak said.

"Tell me about it," Julian said.

"Well, Constable Odo told me about a new shop on the Promenade," Garak said. "A cosmetics store. He was telling me about a shoplifting incident. And I admit... he had me intrigued."

"About the shoplifting incident?" Julian asked.

"About the store," Garak said. "I've... I've never worn makeup before. But I sort of found myself wanting to go to the store."

"And did you?" Julian asked.

"Yes," Garak said. "And... I bought something. I know it's frivolous, but... I bought lipstick."

"Ooh!" Julian said. "You should show me." So Garak took the package out from his dresser drawer and pulled out the tube of lipstick, showing Julian the lovely blue color. "It's a nice shade," Julian said. "It would look nice on your skin."

"You think so?" Garak said.

"Yeah," said Julian. "I think you should put it on."

So they went into Garak's bathroom and stood at the mirror. Garak held up the tube of lipstick to his face. "I confess I don't really know what I'm doing," Garak said.

"Swipe it across your lips," Julian said. "Don't put on too much- you can always put on more, but it's harder to take it off. And then rub your lips together."

Garak did as Julian suggested. The feeling of the lipstick against his lips was rather pleasant, actually. He rubbed his lips together. He looked at himself in the mirror. It had worked! He was wearing lipstick! The blue shade looked very nice against his gray skin. He couldn't help but smile at his reflection.

"The owner of the shop, a rather friendly Bajoran woman, gave me this sort of sealant to put on my lips to make sure the lipstick won't fade too quickly," Garak said, applying it with a small brush. He turned around to face Julian. "What do you think?"

"You look great," Julian said.

"Really?" Garak said. "Don't you think it's strange that I want to wear makeup?"

"Not at all," Julian said. "Actually, I think it's very attractive."

"You really think so?" Garak said.

"I wouldn't lie to you," said Julian. "I have an idea. Want to take part in an... experiment?"

They ended up with Garak on his knees in front of Julian, eagerly anticipating Julian's cock in his mouth. Somehow, wearing lipstick made the act even more enticing. Julian slid down his pants, pulling out his cock, already semi-hard in anticipation for Garak's mouth. Garak took it in his mouth eagerly, sucking at it with passion. Julian slid his fingers through Garak's hair, which made him very happy.

"God, you're so hot like this," Julian said.

Garak loved being told he was good-lucking. It was one of his vanities. He felt himself getting wet underneath his pants as he sucked Julian's cock.

Julian probably could tell. He pulled out of Garak's mouth. "Get on the bed," he ordered Garak. "And take your clothes off."

Garak eagerly obeyed. He began pulling off his tunic. It got stuck at his shoulders, and Julian helped him take it off. He pulled off his pants and underwear until he was naked in front of Julian. He couldn't resist touching himself with his hands as he watched Julian taken all his clothes off, too.

"It's not smudged," Julian said.

"What?"

"The lipstick," said Julian. "It's not smudged."

"Just fuck me, Julian," Garak said.

Julian felt so good inside him. Such a familiar feeling. Garak loved it. He loved the feeling as Julian pumped away, in and out of him. And when Julian leaned in and kissed him, well, it felt even better.

"I- I think I'm going to come," Garak said. It came out as a whimper.

"Come for me, Elim," Julian said.

Garak came. Hard. Writhing against Julian, pleasure in every fiber of his being. Immediately afterward, it felt like crashing down from a high. He was out of breath. Julian kept going, thrusting into him until he came, too.

"Do you think the experiment went all right?" Garak asked.

"Well, I can attest to the power of the lipstick," said Julian. "It's barely smudged, even after everything."

"Maybe we weren't trying hard enough," suggested Garak.

"We'll have other opportunities," Julian said. He kissed Garaak on the forehead. "You know, I'm really proud of you," he said.

"Proud of me?" Garak said. "Why would you be proud of me?"

"For trying something new," said Julian. "You're very set in your ways, sometimes." Garak started to protest. "Come on, Elim, you know you are. But you're trying something new. Something... something your father wouldn't have wanted you to do. And I'm proud of you for that. It takes courage."

"I suppose it does," said Garak.

"Do you think you'll ever wear it in public?" Julian asked him.

Garak considered it. "Perhaps," he said. "You've certainly made me feel more confident about that idea."

"If you wear that lipstick in public, I'll have to fuck you in the back of your shop," Julian suggested, his eyes mischievous.

"That would be bad for business," Garak said. "But... it would definitely feel good."

Julian had to leave eventually, as he always did. The two of them cleaned themselves off first, Julian getting dressed back in his uniform, Garak changing into his pajamas. Julian watched over Garak's shoulder as he used the makeup wipes to remove his lipstick. It came off in a blue stain on the wipe, a mark like a kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Julian said, leaning in and kissing Garak on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Garak said softly as he watched Julian leave.

As Garak got in bed for the night, curling under the covers, he remembered the happy feeling in his chest he got when Julian said he looked good with lipstick.

_I think I can get used to that feeling,_ he thought.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this was a mess of gender expression stuff and sex! I hope you enjoyed- I'd love if you commented. :)


End file.
